Hatless Jack
by Neil Steinberg · first published 2004
2mentions
2recommended by
2HN commenters
2012–2025first – last mentioned
100% recommend
"Not so long ago, we were a country of hat wearers. Hats were tipped, raised, handed, tossed, snapped, passed, checked, waved, and eaten (metaphorically, at least). Many believe the end of this way of life was precipitated by the presidential inauguration of a bareheaded John F. Kennedy; suddenly desperate American hatters were convinced that persuading the young, charismatic new leader to wear a hat would save their declining business. Author Neil Steinberg uses January 20, 1961, as the jumping-off point for uncovering a near-forgotten slice of American history. Using a cast of famous men fro
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you're interested in this story, there's an excellent book on the subject titled Hatless Jack: the President, the Fedora, and the Death of the Hat (http://www.amazon.com/Hatless-Jack-Neil-Steinberg/dp/1862077...) that investigates the death of the hat as a mandatory fashion accessory for American…
on “Who Killed Men's Hats? Think Of A Three Letter Word Beginning With 'I'” ↗If you are interested in this topic, especially from the US perspective, I recommend this book: https://www.alibris.com/Hatless-Jack-The-President-the-Fedor... . There was apparently significant social pressure for all men to wear hats until the mid C 20th.
on “Paris had a moving sidewalk in 1900, and a Thomas Edison film captured it (2020)” ↗